The present invention is directed, in general, to electronic mail (e-mail) and, more specifically, to an e-mail message having a physical mailing address embedded therein, systems and methods for embedding physical mailing addresses into an e-mail message, forwarding mail based on an e-mail address and an e-mail to physical mail conversion infrastructure.
In recent years, the availability of more efficient, reliable and cost-effective computers and networking tools has allowed many companies and individuals (collectively, xe2x80x9cusersxe2x80x9d) to become involved in an ever-growing electronic community. The immeasurable gains in technology experienced by the computer industry overall permit these users to rely on commercially available computers, such as personal computers (xe2x80x9cPCSxe2x80x9d), to meet their information processing and communication needs. To that end, PC manufacturers allow users to equip most PCS with an interface (such as a modem) that may be used for communication over networks, such as the Internet. The Internet is a well-known collection of networks (e.g., public and private voice, data, video and multimedia networks) that cooperate using common protocols to form a worldwide network of networks.
Cooperation often includes the communication of electronic mail (xe2x80x9ce-mailxe2x80x9d) from one user (a xe2x80x9csenderxe2x80x9d) to another (a xe2x80x9crecipientxe2x80x9d). One conventional e-mail protocol employed over the Internet, Simplified Mail Transfer Protocol (xe2x80x9cSMTPxe2x80x9d), mandates that each e-mail message body have a header that includes the sender""s e-mail address (a xe2x80x9csource addressxe2x80x9d or a xe2x80x9creturn addressxe2x80x9d) and the recipient""s e-mail address (a xe2x80x9cdestination addressxe2x80x9d).
Unfortunately, some people purporting to be e-mail capable neglect to check their e-mailboxes regularly. Other people have multiple e-mail accounts, e-mailboxes for some of which they check, others of which they do not. Sometimes, people may forget they even have an e-mail account. Still other people""s e-mailboxes are located behind firewalls that restrict incoming e-mail, e.g., in terms of message source address, content, size or attachment. Needless to say, successful communication by e-mail can be a spotty proposition.
Compounding the problem is that not everyone has e-mail capability. In fact, most of the world""s people are not currently on the Internet. While unfamiliarity with computers has caused many not to have joined the e-mail revolution, others are highly protective of their privacy or openly distrustful of technology in general. These people therefore intend never to be on the Internet, no matter how compelling the advantages may become. A significant number do not live where Internet access is straightforward. Still others have not the economic resources to make a connection.
Almost everyone has a physical mailing address, however. Postal services around the world have been delivering paper-based (xe2x80x9cphysicalxe2x80x9d) mail regularly for over a hundred years, causing mail to be recognized as a reasonably reliable medium for business and personal communication.
Unfortunately, physical mail has its disadvantages. Physical mail requires paper, a legible physical mailing address and proper postage. Writing and mailing a physical letter or postcard takes time and work and costs money. Thus, many people avoid sending physical mail unless the information to be communicated justifies the effort.
Physical mail can also be slow. While it may at one time have been acceptable to wait a day, week or month for physical mail to reach a recipient, today""s lightning-fast society seems to have lost its patience. Hence, physical mail has earned a most unflattering appellation: xe2x80x9csnailmail.xe2x80x9d
The result of all of the above is that people have adapted to the idiosyncracies of both e-mail and physical mail. The following example illustrates these idiosyncracies.
A sender wishes to send a simple message to several recipients. Four are e-mail capable; three are not. Of the four, the sender has e-mail addresses for only three. Of these, two are regular e-mail users and are good about checking their e-mailboxes. (Unfortunately, one""s e-mailbox is behind a firewall that truncates messages longer than a kilobyte.) The third recipient checks his e-mailbox religiously every two months (unbeknownst to the sender).
To communicate with this disparate lot, the sender must prepare his message in two forms: e-mail messages for the three recipient the prospective sender knows to be e-mail-capable (one of which is almost certainly bound to receive his message late) and physical mail messages for the rest (including the one who could have received his message in e-mail form). For each physical mail message, the sender must print out the message, enclose it in an envelope, write a physical mailing address on the envelope, supply the envelope with sufficient postage and take the envelope to a mailbox (perhaps requiring a drive). Even after having expended the effort, the sender cannot feel comfortable that all recipients will receive their respective messages.
It is apparent that much of this could be substantially improved. What is needed in the art is a more effective, efficient and comprehensive way to communicate with people, not only those who are e-mail-capable, but also those who are reachable only by way of physical mailing addresses.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides systems, methods, infrastructures and e-mail messages are set forth that allow e-mail to be converted to physical mail form and physically mailed to recipients. The e-mail messages themselves carry the data sufficient to identify the physical mailing address of their intended recipients.
In one aspect of the present invention, a system for generating an e-mail address includes: (1) a recipient information receiver that receives information regarding a recipient sufficient to identify a physical mailing address therefor and (2) an e-mail address generator, coupled to the recipient information receiver, that generates an e-mail address from at least some of the information, the e-mail address employable to cause an e-mail message destined for the recipient to be transmitted to a mail conversion site for conversion to physical form and forwarding to the recipient at the physical mailing address.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of generating an e-mail address includes: (1) receiving information regarding a recipient sufficient to identify a physical mailing address therefor and (2) generating an e-mail address from at least some of the information, the e-mail address employable to cause an e-mail message destined for the recipient to be transmitted to a mail conversion site for conversion to physical form and forwarding to the recipient at the physical mailing address.
In another aspect of the present invention, an e-mail message includes: (1) a body and (2) a header having physical mailing address data located in an address therein that is employable to forward information contained in the body to a physical mailing address in physical mail form.
In another aspect of the present invention, a system for forwarding an e-mail message includes: (1) an e-mail message receiver that receives an e-mail message destined for a recipient and extracts physical mailing address data from a header thereof and (2) a physical mail generator, coupled to the e-mail message receiver, that generates physical mail from at least a portion of a body of the e-mail message, employs the physical mailing address data to address the physical mail and queues the physical mail for physical mailing to the recipient.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of forwarding an e-mail message includes: (1) receiving an e-mail message destined for a recipient, (2) extracting physical mailing address data from a header of the e-mail message, (3) generating physical mail from at least a portion of a body of the e-mail message, (4) employing the physical mailing address data to address the physical mail and (5) queuing the physical mail for physical mailing to the recipient.
In another aspect of the present invention, an e-mail to physical mail conversion infrastructure includes: (1) a site that receives e-mail messages from senders and destined for respective recipients, each of the e-mail messages including: (1a) a body and (1b) a header having physical mailing address data located in an address therein, (2) an e-mail message receiver, associated with the site, that extracts the physical mailing address data and (3) physical mail generators, coupled to the e-mail message receiver, that generate physical mail from at least a portion of the body of the each of the e-mail messages, employ the physical mailing address data to address the physical mail and queue the physical mail for physical mailing to the recipients.
For purposes of the present invention, a xe2x80x9cphysical mailing addressxe2x80x9d is any address to or from which a conventional physical mailing system, such as the United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, Federal Express (FedEx) or foreign post office or service can deliver or pick up. A xe2x80x9cphysical mailing addressxe2x80x9d is not a computer, computer network or telecommunications system address. xe2x80x9cPhysical mailing addressesxe2x80x9d are therefore real-world, and not virtual. A xe2x80x9cphysical return addressxe2x80x9d is the physical mailing address of the sender or some other party designated to receive a reply to the e-mail message from the recipient.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, preferred and alternative features of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.